While on the subject of backup light switches...

While we're on the subject of backup light switches, I was attempting to track down difficulties with mine yesterday. I have an '89 Cabriolet with the manual transmission, though, and at times it seems to be a "kit" with few clues (due to a previous owner...). The backup light switch connector I found upon the transaxle appears to have four male prongs in a row though after seeing a photograph on the carpartstogo site, I shall have to take a look at it and see if there may be a fifth prong arranged by itself. According to the part listing upon the carpartstogo site, this would indicate that it is an upshift indicating switch even though there is nothing in the instrument cluster that leads me to believe that the car has had an upshift indicator and there are only two wires (with no white nylon plastic plug housing, only female spade terminals that appear original and possibly once housed in a plug) that I have found leaving the wire bundle under the hood. The pair of wires I found and tested are definitely the backup lights, as well. As far as I know, neither the instrument cluster nor the engine/transaxle have been swapped out (but we know what assumptions cause, eh?) but the combination does seem odd. To make a long story a bit shorter, here are my questions: Is it possible to connect the backup lights to two of the prongs (I'm not worried about having an upshift indicator in the least) and, if so, which ones would apply? And, if this is not a solution, is it possible (or practical) to convert it to the two-prong switch? I suppose I could always connect a toggle switch to the two wires and post a "preflight checklist" on the dash, eh? ;-) (chuckle) Thanks in advance for any help! (By the way, I just went out and looked further at it and it is the five-prong, L-shaped switch.)

There are apparently 2 types of backup light switches for manual
transmission Cabbies. One is the L-shaped one you mentioned. There is
another one that is cylindrical in shape, has external threads on it, and is
referred to as the "screw-in" type. I've seen the 2 types in several online
Cabbie catalogs.

"Johnnie" > wrote in message
...
>
> While we're on the subject of backup light switches, I was attempting to
> track down difficulties with mine yesterday. I have an '89 Cabriolet
> with the manual transmission, though, and at times it seems to be a
> "kit" with few clues (due to a previous owner...). The backup light
> switch connector I found upon the transaxle appears to have four male
> prongs in a row though after seeing a photograph on the carpartstogo
> site, I shall have to take a look at it and see if there may be a fifth
> prong arranged by itself. According to the part listing upon the
> carpartstogo site, this would indicate that it is an upshift indicating
> switch even though there is nothing in the instrument cluster that leads
> me to believe that the car has had an upshift indicator and there are
> only two wires (with no white nylon plastic plug housing, only female
> spade terminals that appear original and possibly once housed in a
> plug) that I have found leaving the wire bundle under the hood. The
> pair of wires I found and tested are definitely the backup lights, as
> well. As far as I know, neither the instrument cluster nor the
> engine/transaxle have been swapped out (but we know what assumptions
> cause, eh?) but the combination does seem odd. To make a long story a
> bit shorter, here are my questions: Is it possible to connect the
> backup lights to two of the prongs (I'm not worried about having an
> upshift indicator in the least) and, if so, which ones would apply?
> And, if this is not a solution, is it possible (or practical) to
> convert it to the two-prong switch? I suppose I could always connect a
> toggle switch to the two wires and post a "preflight checklist" on the
> dash, eh? ;-) (chuckle) Thanks in advance for any help! (By the way,
> I just went out and looked further at it and it is the five-prong,
> L-shaped switch.)
>
>
> --
> Johnnie

Originally Posted by Papa

There are apparently 2 types of backup light switches for manual
transmission Cabbies. One is the L-shaped one you mentioned. There is
another one that is cylindrical in shape, has external threads on it, and is
referred to as the "screw-in" type. I've seen the 2 types in several online
Cabbie catalogs.

Yes, I have noticed the same thing, as well. I have a sneaking suspicion that the transaxle and/or engine may have been swapped out at some point since there is no upshift indicator in my instrument cluster and the wiring harness has only the two wires for backup lights (both of which have what appear to be the original female spade connections hanging loose with original crimping as if they were once enclosed in a female plug), apparently for connection to the screw-in two-connector switch.

I haven't looked yet (but will in the morning) but a thought occurred to me at work today, too... Might it be possible that there is another mounting point upon the transaxle for the screw-in type (since the book lists two or three locations possible for Rabbits, Scirrocos and Cabriolets) that was simply plugged when the upshift option indicator was chosen? Hmm... I shall have to see!

Regarding the instrument cluster, I was amazed (and dismayed) at the number
of versions of them - all of which at first glance look exactly alike. Some
have two connectors at the bottom, some have only one, and the connectors
themselves come in different configurations and sizes. Some have upshift
indicators, some do not. The fuel quantity and water temperature gages vary
as to their locations. There are other differences as well. A Cabbie owner
who is looking for an appropriate replacement cluster will be lucky if he
gets the right one.

Originally Posted by Papa

Regarding the instrument cluster, I was amazed (and dismayed) at the number
of versions of them - all of which at first glance look exactly alike. Some
have two connectors at the bottom, some have only one, and the connectors
themselves come in different configurations and sizes. Some have upshift
indicators, some do not. The fuel quantity and water temperature gages vary
as to their locations. There are other differences as well. A Cabbie owner
who is looking for an appropriate replacement cluster will be lucky if he
gets the right one.

Fortunately I haven't had to tackle that problem thus far!

No takers on the backup light switch question? lol I'm going to play around with it this weekend and see if I can't figure it out if the weather holds... :-)